Spaced wall heat insulated refrigerator cabinet



J. H. GANZER Sept. 9, 1947.

SPACED WALL HEAT INSULATED REFRIGERATOR CABINET Filed oct. '22, `1943 2 sheets-smet i SePt 9, 1947 J. H. GANZER 2,427,048

SPACED WALL HEAT INSULATD REFRIGERATOR CABINET 4 `Filed oct. 22, 1945 'A 2 sheets-sheet 2 a7- 21a IW.

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Patented Sept. 9, 1947 sPAoED WALL HEAT INSULATED REFRIGERATOR CABINET John H. Ganzer, Duluth, Minn., assignor to The Duluth, Minn., a corpora- Coolerator Company,

tion of Minnesota Application 0ct0her`22, 1943, Serial No. 507,283

. cabinets that include one or more compartments surrounded by insulation to enable maintenance of a temperature therein below or above that of the surrounding atmosphere and this invention primarily has to do with sealing the insulation provided about such a compartment or compartments from the atmosphere surrounding such a cabinet.

A refrigerator ory like cabinet which includes one or more compartments in which a. temperature is maintained below o1' above that of the atmosphere surrounding the cabinet usually has an inner wall structure that defines the compartment or compartments and also an outer wall structure that is spaced from the inner wall structureso as to thereby afford an area in which suitable insulating material may be conned to thereby insulate the compartment or compartments enclosed by the inner wall structure. Usually in such'arrangements the inner wall structure is effectively sealed so as `to prevent` the ingress or egress of air into or out of the compartment enclosed by such'wall structure andv from and into the area in which the insulating materia1 about such wall structure is confined. In such cabinets, however, it is difficult to arrange the outer wall structure in such a wayas to prevent the ingress or egress of air into and from the area in which the insulating material is confined and particularly past joints or seams in the outer wall structure. It is therefore an important object of this invention to so seal an area in which insulating material may be confined in a refrigerator or like cabinet that the ingress or egress of air into and from such insulated area in so4 far as the outer wall structure of the refrigerator may be concerned will be prevented.

In a refrigerator Where the compartment or compartments defined by the inner wall structure usually consist of a compartment in which food may be stored, commonly called a food compartment, and sometimesl also a compartment in which a coolant such as ice or the evaporator of a refrigerating system may be arranged, the temperature maintained in such compartments is effective `to cool the inner Wall structure. In such circumstances if air from the surrounding atmospherev may pass into the area in which the insulation is confined about the inner wall structure, it has been found that such air upon coming in contact with the cooled inner wall structure gives up its moisture 'with the result that free water collects in the insulating area and in the insulation andv this reduces the insulating effect and is otherwise objectionable. Therefore, yet another object of my invention is to prevent the collection of free water in the insulation and insulating area of a refrigerator.

Refrigerator and like cabinets usually include upright posts at the corners thereof and rails are extended between these posts to interconnect the same, and the various walls of an outer wall structure are joined to these posts and rails to be re.- tained in position. I have observed that the ingress and egress of air into and from the insulating area in a refrigerator is usually past the surfaces of such posts and rails because of the difliculty of uniting the walls of the outer wall structure with the faces ofsuch posts and rails in such a way as to prevent air seepage therebetween. Hence, yet another object of this invention is to seal the connection between the faces of posts, rails or the like in a cabinet structure and the walls laid thereagainst in such a way as to prevent air seepage past faces of such posts, rails or thelike and the walls laid thereagainst; andra related object is to provide sealing strips in between the faces of posts, rails or the like and the walls laid against such ,faces of such posts, rails or the like so as to thereby prevent air seepage past the faces of posts, rails or the like and walls laid thereagainst.

Yet further objects are to form grooves or rabbets in the outer faces of posts or rails included in a cabinet structure, such as a refrigerator cabinet, in which 'grooves or rabbets strips of sealing material may be laid; to employ a resilient sealing material which may be compressed into such grooves when a wall is secured to the face of the rail or post in which the groove or rabbet receiving the sealing strip is formed; and to locate such grooves and sealing strips adjacent to joints in the outer wall structure of a refrigerator or like cabinet so as to thereby insure against the seepage of air into an insulating area in the cabinet from such joints.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment and the principle thereof and what I now consider lto be the best mode in which I have contemplated applyingV that principle. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principle may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig.`1 is a perspective view of va cabinet of the character i'n which my invention kmay be embodied.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view drawn to an enlarged scale of Fig. 4 is a. sectional view drawn to an enlarged scale and taken substantially on the line 4-4 on Fig.2;

Fig. 5 is a -fragmentary perspective view of a sealing strip of the character employed in the practice of this invention; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 on Fig. 1.

'The cabinet C illustrated in the accompanying drawings is adapted for use as an ice refrigerator and includes an inner wall structure, generally indicated by IW, which embodies vertical side walls 1 and 8 and a vertical back wall 9 that are desirably formed from a single sheet of material. The inner wall structure IW also includes a top wall I0 and a bottom wall II which, as best shown in Fig, 6, desirably extend beyond and outwardly of the side walls 1 and 8 and which, in a like manner, extend beyond and out wardly of the rear wall 9. Strips as I2 may be provided to engage the marginal portions of the Walls |0and,II that extend outwardly of the walls 1, 8 and 9 and these strips l2 are also laid against the adjacent faces of the walls 1, 8 and 9. The aforesaid outwardly extended marginal portions of the walls I8 and II and the adjacent portions of the walls 1, 8 and 9 are `desirably joined to the adjacent strips as I2 in a suitable manner. In some instances a suitable sealing compound may provided along the joints or seams at the junctures of the walls I0 or II with the walls 1. 8 and '9. so as to effectively seal the compartment enclosed by the inner wall structure IW from the insulating area afforded in the a portion of the cabinet. as itis illustrated in Fi'g. 2;

4. with the rails 2I and 22 located rails, not shown, extend between the posts I5 and I6.

Ihe refrigerator cabinet also includes an outer wall structure, generally indicated at OW which embodies vertical side walls 25 and 26 and a vertical back wall 21 each fashioned from sheet material. A top wall 28 ofpsheet material also comprises a part of the outer wall structure and a bottom wall 28 of sheet material completes the outer f wall structure of the compartment or compartcabinet, as will be described presently. Moreover, the inner wall structure is suitably supported in the cabinet in a manner described hereinafter.

The cabinet C has four upright posts I3, I4, I5 and I6 at the corners thereof. .As best shown in Fig. 6 a rail as I1 extends between adjacent faces of the posts I3 and `I6 at thev upper ends thereof and a rail I8 correspondingly extends between the adjacent faces of the posts I4 -and I5. The ends of the rails I1 and I8 are united with the adjacent post by a mortise and tenon joint or in any other suitable manner, as is well understood in the art. Likewise, rails as I9 and 26 respectively extend between the posts I3 and I6 and I4 and I5 at the lower ends further, rails as 2| and 22 respectively extend between the posts I3 and I6 and I4 and I5, the rails 2I and 22 being respectively spaced above the lower rails I8 and -20 to provide means to support the bottom-wall II of the inner wall structure IW. For this purpose rails as 23 and 24 are respectively secured to the inner faces of the rails 2I and 22, and the marginal portions of the bottom wall I I that are disposed outwardly of the walls 1 and 8 are rested on the upper edges of the rails 23 and 24, as shown in`Fig. 6. Rails, not shown, extend between the posts I3 and I4 in alignment with the rails I1 and I8 and similarly located rails, notshown, extend between the posts I5 and I6. Yet other rails, not shown, extend between theposts I3` and I4 in alignment bottom rails, not shown,

ments of the refrigerator cabinet. Preferably, the rear margins of the side walls 25 and 26 and the rear margin of the top wall 28, overlap the respective edges of the rack wall 21 to provide joints as best indicated at 3I in Fig. 3. The inside faces of the marginal portions of the side walls 25 and 26 of the outer wall structure are laid against and suitably secured to the outwardly disposed facesof the related posts I3, I4, I5 and I6, and the related rails I1 and I8. These side walls also lie against the outwardly disposed faces of the respective side rails 2I and 22, andthe marginal portions of the top wall 28 of said outer wall structure are laid on and suitably secured to the top faces of the r-ails I1 and I8 as well as on the corresponding'top rails, not shown, which extend between the posts I3 and spectively. Similarly, the marginal portions of the back wall 21 are laid against the rear faces of the rear posts I3 and I4 and against the upper and lower rails, not shown, connecting said posts. The bottom wall 29 has its marginal portions laid against the bottom faces of the supporting rails 23 and 24 of the frame structure.

Facing strips 32 which may be of sheet material like that constituting the wall structures are laid against the front faces `of the front posts I5 and I6 and the margins of said strips extend inwai dly beyond the inner opposed faces of said posts. A finishing or filler strip 33 is united to the rear face of the marginal portion of each facing strip 32, one in tight abutment respectively, with each opposed face of the front posts I5 and I6 as shown in Fig. 2, and similar strips, not shown, are likewise secured to the front, top and extending between the front posts I5 and I6. Joining of the finishing strips 33 to the respective posts I5 and I6 and to the connecting top rail is reinforced by supplemental strips 34 which are laid against and united as by a mortis and tenori joint to the respective posts or rails and as by an adhesive to the rear or inside face of the related nishing strips 33. The finishing strips 33 are mortised as at 35 on their faces disposed toward the interior of the refrigerator so as to snugly receive respectively the front edge portions of the inner wall structure side, top and bottom walls. The portion of each finishing strip 33 as is disposed inwardly of the respective walls of the inner wall structure provide surface abutments against each of which a rail 36 is secured in a manner to position an edge in tight abutment with the inner face of the respective inner walls 1 and 8. The area between theinner wall structure IW and the outer wall structure OW is completely filled with suitable ment or compartments within the inner wall l structure IW through -the open front of the refrigerator cabinet. This opening is suitably closed and yet other similarly v I4 and I5 and I6, re-` by a door structure D including an inner wall 38 of sheet material vcarried on ,the inside face of a frame structure consisting of v'ertically arranged vspaced intermediate and side members 39, 4| and -42 respectively, which are interconnected by top and bottom rails, not shown, so as to provide a rigid frame structure. The side margins -of the inner wall 38 extend beyond and outwardly of the end members 4I and 42 and likewise the top end margin of said wall extends upwardly beyond the top connecting rail, not shown. Strips 43 are laid against the marginal portions of the inner wall 38 that extend outwardly beyond thev frame structure and these strips 43 also abut the related faces of the respective end members 4I and 42 and of the top connecting rail, not shown.

illustrated at 5I in Figs. 3 and 4, to receive snugly a strip of the resiliently compressi-ble sealing thereover, as has been described hereinabove, the

The strips 43 may be secured in place by a mortise and tenen joint or in any other suitable m-anner as is well understood in the art of cabinet making.

'I'he door structure D also includes an outer wall 44 which is laidagainst the edges of the members 39, 4I and 42 andagainst the connecting rails constituting the door frame structure. The side and top marginal edges 45 of the outer wall 44 are rolled or otherwise turned rearwardly to lie against`the free edge faces of the respective strips 43"; and the area between the inner and outer walls is filled with a suitable insulation material 46.- Hinges -4'I (only one being shown) serve to secure the door structure in place and a latch-handle 48 of any practical construction is provided in a readily accessible place on the outside face of the door structure. When the door structure D is in the lclosed position shown in Fig. 2, resiliently compressible sealing strips 49 provided on the margins of the inside face of the door structure bear against the facing strips 32 withsuiiicient firmness as to effect an efficient seal around the door opening.

sealing material is further compressed so'as t0 be wholly contained within the grooves but under uiicient tension to always bear tightly against the overlying wall portion. In this manner a tight hermetic'seal is provided at all of the margins of the Walls of vtheouter wallstructure so as to thereby prevent seepage of air into the area As previously noted hereinabove the ingress or u egress of air into and from the areas in which insulating material 3l and 46 is confined, through seams or joints in the outer wall structures may result in the collection of moisture in the insulation containing areas so as to thereby reduce the insulating effect and in instances of use of certain types of insulation materialv result in ultivmate damage to said material and perhaps damage, by rotting, to the frame structures. The undesirable characteristic in known refrigeratorcabinets of the type to which this invention pertains is successfully overcome by the present construction.

.As will be more fully explained hereinafter, the various joints or seams, such as at 3|, or other places at which there is a possibility of air seepage into or out of the areas containing the insulating material are adequately provided with associated means to effect an hermetic seal. Thus, it will be observed that the faces of various parts of the frame structure against which thewalls of the outside wall structure OW are laid, as well as the faces of the door frame structure against which the inner wall of the door structure D is laid, are suitably provided with strips of resiliently compressible sealing material preferably of a kind known to the trade as Cellufoam More specifically, the outside faces 'of the upright posts |3, I4, I5 and I6, and the outside faces of the connecting rails I'I, I8, 2| and 22 and 23 and 24, as well as the outside faces of the corresponding rails, not shown, connecting the posts I3 and I4 and I5 and I6 respectively, of the refrigerator cabinet are each suitably grooved or rabbeted as best containing the insulation material through the seams or joints as at 3|.

The faces of the strips 36 in abutment with the inside front edge margins of the side walls 'I and 8 of the inner wall structureIWsimilarly are grooved or rabbeted each to receive a strip of such sealing material -52 to thereby insure an airtight seal at the open front edge of the inner wall structure to prevent seepage of air from the inside of the compartment into the area containing the insulation material 31.

The rear faces of the end frame members 4I and 42 as well as the corresponding faces of the top and bottom rails, not shown, of the frame structure of the door D are similarly grooved or rabbeted each to receive a strip of such sealing material 52 which is compressed by the inner wall i 38 of the door when the' latter is laid against and secured to the door frame structure. Also, the strips 43 extending outwardly laterally from the door frame side members 42 are likewise lgrooved on their free edge faces so as to receive a strip each of such sealing material 52 which strips are compressed when the side margins of the rolled over edge portions of the outer wall 44 of the door are located thereover.

It should b e evident at this time that the inner andouter wall structures of the refrigerator cabinet are so constructed and assembled that ani7 air which may pass through the seams and joints as' 3| in their construction is barred from pas- .I

sage into and from the area between the inner and outer wall structures containing the insulation material 3l by the sealing strips 52. Thus seepage or air at atmospheric temperatures into the interior of the compartment or compartments contained Within the inner wall structure IW as well as the ingress or egress of air into or from the area containing the insulation material is thus prevented in an efficient and inexpensive manner and the damaging effect of such'seepage on the insulation material is avoided and the efliciency of the refrigerator is maintained at a high level. The refrigerator cabinet is made complete by the inclusion of a drawer 53 which is slidable into the space beneath the bottom wall 29 ofthe outer I'wall structure OW and between the downwardly extending portions of the side walls 25 and 26 of the outer wall structure.

The compartment provided within the inner wall structure IW of the refrigerator cabinet is of course intended to be divided into what may -be called a food compartment and a refrigerant` such as ice. The structure, best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6,'includes a substantially U-shaped shell positioned within t'h`e upper portion of the compartment in such manner that its intermediate portion provides a back'wall 56 of an ice receiver and its spaced walls 55 define the side walls of such receiver. The shell is secured in place by screws 5B extending through straps 5l mounted on the back wall 9 of the inner wall structure IW in a manner to hold the shell spaced from said back wall to allow for the free circulation of air. The free front margins of the side walls 55 rest against related edges of the strips 36 and they may be secured thereto by angle brackets 58 one of which affordsy a mounting for hinges 59 (only one shown) by means of which a closure 60 is attached to the U-shaped shell so that the inside of th'e ice receiver may be closed from view when the refrigerator cabinet door D is open.

A bottom wall or drai pan 6I is secured by its surrounding flanges 62 to the lower margin of the U-shaped shell and it is depressed to direct water resulting from the melting of ice in the receiverand collected thereon through a drain spout 63 into the cupped upper end of a drain pipe 64. The ice is supported upon a corrugated and perforated floor G5 mounted within the shell and spaced above the drain pan 6| by depending legs 66. Because of the probability of condensation forming on the outside surfaces of the U-shaped shell and the drain pan 6I, it is necessary to suspend a drip pan 61 below the drain pan Bl prefably by means of hanger straps 68. This drip pan 61 is similar to the drain pan 6| in that its bottom is inclined towards and communicates with the drain spout 63. The drain pan and the drip pan are each formed with' a central opening 69 having an upstanding surrounding flange n 1l to prevent collected water from flowing out of the pans through the openings. These openings are to facilitate circulation of air, within the compartments, through and around the ice receiver whereby maximum cooling efficiency resuits.

The lower support a coolant,

or food compartment within the inner wall structure 1W may contain one or more shelves 12 each' of which will ,be supported at its side edges upon suitable supports such as the' studs 'I3 mounted in any suitable manner on the inside faces of the side walls 1 and 8 .of said inner wall structure.

Hence, while I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of variation and modification and it is therefore not intended that the invention'be limited to the precise details set forth, but that it is capable of embodying such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of thefollowing claims:

I claim: l

l. A refrigerator cabinet including an inner wall structure including side walls defining a compartment having an open front side, a frame structure including upright front and back pairs of posts and connecting rails surrounding said inner wall structure each having a groove in their outwardly disposed faces, top, bottom, back and side wall portions arranged with their margins laid against the said outside faces of related posts'and rails to define an outer wall structure having a corresponding open front side, a strip of resiliently compresslble sealing material contained in each groove having surface contact with such outer wall margins overlying the grooves to prevent air seepage between the margins and related posts and rails into and out of the areas between the inner and outer wall structures, a filler strip joined to the inside opposed faces of of each of the front posts in overlapping relation with the free front edges of the side walls of the inner wall structure, a mortise in the back face of each strip to receive the front edge margins of the said inner side walls, the front faces of the front posts and the joined filler strips being recessed at the joint between said parts, a strip of resilient sealing material in said recesses, and a facing strip laid against the front face of each front post and its joined filler strip, said sealing strips preventing air seepage into the space between the inner and outer wall structures past the joints between the front posts and their joined filler strips.

2. A refrigerator cabinet including an inner wall structure including top, bottom, back and side walls, defining a compartment having an open front side, a frame structure including upright front and back pairs of posts and connecting rails surrounding said inner-wall structure, the outwardly disposed faces of the posts and rails each having a groove therein substantially coextensive therewith, top, bottom, back and side wall portions arranged with their margins laid against the outside Afaces of related posts and rails to denne an outer wall structure enclosing the inner wall structure and having a corresponding open front side, a strip of resiliently compressible sealing material compressed in each groove having surface rontact with such outer wall margins overlying the grooves to prevent air seepage between the margins and related posts and rails into and out of the areas between the inner and outer wall structures, an insulation material filling the area between said wall structures, a filler strip on each front post disposed in overlapping relation with the free front edges of the side walls of the inner wall structure, each filler strip being formed to engage a front edge margin of an inner side wall, a second strip laid against and secured to the back face of each ller strip each with edge abutment with the inside marginal face of a side wall of the inner wall structure, a strip of sealing material carried in said wall abutting edges of the second strips and at the joint in the front face of the front post and attached filler strip, and a facing strip laid against the front face of each front post and its attached ller strip, said sealing strips preventing air seepage into the space between the inner and outer wall structures past the second strips 'and the abutted wall margins and past the joints between the front posts and their attached filler strips.

3. A refrigerator cabinet including an inner wall structure including top, bottom, back and side walls surrounding a compartment having an open front side, a frame structure including upright front and back pairs of posts and connecting rails surrounding said inner wall structure, the outwardly disposed faces of the posts and rails each having a groove therein, said grooves being substantially co-extensive with the lengths of the posts and rails, top, bottom, back and side wall portions arranged with their margins laid against the outside faces of related posts and rails to define an outer wall structure enclosing the inner wall structure and having a corresponding open front side, a strip of resiliently compressible sealing material laid in each groove having surface contact with such outer ltheir margins laid united to the back face of each filler strip'each with edge abutment with the inside marginalA faces of the side walls of the inner wall structure,

said wall abutting edges of said second strips hav-A ing a groove therein and a groove at the joint in the front face of the front post and attached filler strip, a strip of resiliently compressible sealing material in each of said grooves, and a facing strip [laid against the front face o! each front post and its attached 1111er strip, said sealing strips preventing air seepage into the area between the inner and outer wall structures past the second strip and the abutted inner gins and past the joints between the front posts and their attached filler strips.

4. A refrigerator cabinet including an inner wall structure surrounding a compartment having an open front side, a frame structure including upright front and back pairs of posts and connecting rails surrounding the inner wall structure, the outwardly disposed faces of the posts and rails each having a groove therein, top, bottom, back and side wall portions arranged with against the outside faces of related posts and rails to define an outer wall structure enclosing the inner wall structure and having a corresponding open front side, a strip of sealing material laid in each groove having surface contact with such outer wall margins overlying the grooves to prevent air seepage between the margins and related posts and rails into and out of the areas between the inner and outer wall structures, a 1111er strip arranged on inside opposed faces of each of the front posts in overlapping relation with the free front edges wail mar- Number Name Date 1,668,646 Hull ."May 8, 1928 `1,646,616 Jankus Oct. 25, 1927 2,056,081 Springford et al. Sept. 29, 1936 4`2,307,121 Erickson Jan. 5, 1943 1,908,248 Hull May 9, 1933 1,853,044 Geyer Apr. 12, 1932 577,293 Frink Feb. 16,1897

1,753,567 Geyer Apr. 8, 1930 2,135,971 McIlwraith' et al. Feb. 14, 1939 1,933,242 Card et al. Oct. 31, 1933 2,240,916 Springford et al. May 6, 1941 1,926,810 Kuhls Sept. 12, 1933 1,867,539 Rauen July 12, 1932 2,053,251 Cook et al. Sept. 8, 1936 2,053,803 Schweller Sept. 8, 1936 2,205,778 Forsthoefel June 25, 1940 2,076,821 Lipman Apr. 13, 1937 2,206,755 Schweller July 42, 1940 2,113,152

of ,theside walls .of the inner wall structure. a

-mortise in the back-face of each 1111er strip to receive the front edge margins of the said inner `side walls, a second strip laid against and united to the back face of each filler strip each with edge 'abutment with the inside marginal faces of the side. walls of the innerwall structure, said Wall abutting edges of said second strips having a groove therein and a groove at the joint in the front face of the front post and attached 1111er strip, a strip of sealing material in each of said grooves, and a facing strip laid against the iront face of each front strip, said sealing strips preventing air seepage into the area between the inner and outer tvall structures past the second strip and the abutted inner wall margins and past the joints between the front posts and their attached 1111er strips.

JOHN H. GANZER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED s'A'rns PA'I'ENTs Johnston Apr. 5, 1938 post and its attached filler' 

